1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tools for automotive vehicles, and more particularly, to an air brake adjustment tool.
2. Description of Prior Art
When checking and adjusting air brakes on heavy duty automotive vehicles, such as, buses or trailers of the "S"-cam type, it is necessary to check the air chamber piston travel stroke. This procedure must be effected prior to and after an adjustment. It also requires two men for obtaining a proper adjustment, because a single man cannot pull the slack adjuster with a sufficient amount of force by hand, to check the air chamber piston travel stroke, thus, a second person is needed to enter the cab of the vehicle and step on the brake pedal to execute a proper brake adjustment operation.
However, there are hit and miss methods that may be employed to perform a brake adjustment operation. The tool in accordance with the present invention, is a slack adjustment device, to give a single mechanic the means to grasp and pull a slack adjuster, enabling him to perform a proper brake adjustment, without employing a hit and miss method. References of record are the United States patents of Clair F. Hahn U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,791, Harry C. Grossman U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,382, and Jack M. Winslow U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,376.
The principal object of this invention is to provide an air brake adjustment tool, which will be employed to make an air brake adjustment a one man operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide an air brake adjustment tool, which will be employed on most manual and automatic slack adjusters that are used at present.
Another object of this invention is to provide an air brake adjustment tool, which will be of such structure, as to give a single mechanic a mechanical advantage through leverage means, to pull a slack adjuster of an air brake by hand with little effort, which will save a substantial amount of garage time and manpower.
A further object of this invention is to provide an air brake adjustment tool, which will be of such structure, that it will accomodate sockets of various sizes for adjustment screws of all sizes.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an air brake adjustment tool, which will employ a self-contained striker block, for being hit with a hammer to free a tight adjustment screw locking collar.